And the shopkeepers of Unity Street are living on borrowed time as property developers want to buy them out.

The florist, the baker and the undertakers all depart, leaving just Frank, Father Anthony’s religious knick-knack shop and Maud’s tattoo parlour.

Ilse is increasingly drawn back to the shop and proves a dab hand at mending the things that Kit breaks.

She is as attracted to Frank as he is to her but both are too damaged to reveal their feelings.

Instead they meet weekly in a teashop by the cathedral to talk about music, with Frank attempting to explain its importance.

Ilse also has a big secret in her life and when it is revealed Frank is completely thrown.

PR

Frank has settled in a cathedral city selling records but deep down he is still on the run

A further disaster ensues, making it seemingly impossible for them to find their way back to one another.

Rachel Joyce, following the success of earlier novels including The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry, has crafted a tender novel about heartache and redemption, full of humour and perceptive observations.

It has a filmic quality with its romantic chases and dramatic set pieces. And woven through the whole narrative is music, like the soundtrack to a film.

“For Frank, music was like a garden – it sowed seeds in far-flung places.”

This book may well achieve the same effect and will certainly make a heartwarming holiday read.